redact-secret · Report

Unclassified assignment literal

Arbitrary literal in a sensitive-looking assignment, masked as project policy rather than a provider format.

Not provider-specific
Detectors: generic-token
Run 2026-10-07
Mode published · redact-secret 0.1.0-beta.14

Dossier verdictReady
Dossier evidence levelT3 · Project policy
Dossier researched2026-09-26

New pipelineAuthority

Built from the new pipeline

The new pipeline is the authority for credential qualification. These numbers are read from the qualification view derived from the official credential-eval run of the public-evidence-snapshot population. The regression and policy populations keep their own counts on the qualification pages and are not added in here.

Authority: new
Population: public-evidence-snapshot
Engine: credential-eval 0.1.0-alpha.16
Evidence: snapshot-2026.10.06.4
Run: sha256:4bec6e539482…
Recorded: 2026-10-07
Authorised for: @redact-secret/core@0.1.0-beta.14

Maintainer-reviewed (independent review pending)

598 fixtures of the 7,041 in evidence release snapshot-2026.10.06.4 carry this label. They are counted in the numbers on this page.

Passed the project’s own verification (source evidence, automated checks, recorded counter-arguments); not yet independently reviewed.

OpenRedaction default (all patterns): not measured in this run (optional)

The default (all-pattern) profile is slow and noisy for credential evaluation: personal data and resource identifiers dominate its findings, and its last official measurement took 7 minutes of scanner time on a population the credential profile scans in seconds (its methods run takes 40+ minutes), so it is a manual measurement and never blocks other scanners or core verification (#763). Its earlier results stay as history with their run identity; the credential profile is a separate scanner, never spliced with it.

Last measurement: policy-corpus@linux-x64 (configuration sha256:2451ce7bf380), public-evidence-snapshot+methods@linux-x64 (configuration sha256:d47d081ce5fb), public-evidence-snapshot@linux-x64 (configuration sha256:2451ce7bf380), regression-corpus@linux-x64 (configuration sha256:2451ce7bf380) · engine 0.1.0-alpha.5 · recorded 2026-10-05 · retained record, no longer listed by the run registry. It stays labelled with that run identity and is never combined with another profile or another run.

Open the qualification page for this pointer

OpenRedaction credential profile (33 types): not measured in an official run (local exploratory diagnostics only: see ADR)

The credential profile is the comparison profile chosen in docs/decisions/2026-10-06-choose-the-openredaction-credential-bearing-profile-as-the-comparison-scanner.md. It is optional in the official run class because no pinned engine configuration measures it yet: making it required would refuse every official view until the owner approves the one profile-only run. Its own history starts with that run; nothing of the default's is reused for it.

No earlier measurement of it is recorded. Nothing is shown in its place.

Official measurement: pending: requires owner approval (one profile-only run; see the decision).

Open the qualification page for this pointer

Every population and its qualification

Research record

From credential-evidence snapshot-2026.10.06.4 · records at 77ce761 · schema 1.8.0. It describes the research on the format, not what any scanner or the product does, and not a support status.

Review stateDraft, not reviewed
Format revision1 · current
ResearchResearched
Researched2026-09-26

2 events in the review history: 1 observed, 1 reviewed. Latest: observed on 2026-09-26 by automation, project maintainer. Project-maintained review is not independent validation. The family record at this release.

Format

Provider format research from credential-evidence snapshot-2026.10.06.4 · records at 77ce761 · schema 1.8.0.

What it looks like

Shape not recorded.

Format facts

Provider documented · mutable-property-source · current · observed 2026-09-20
Documentation for the one property varied in legacy twin fixtures (context-twin decision (#36)): no provider exists for an arbitrary literal. The recorded decision is that the twin keeps the value and mutates exactly one property of the assignment context; silence is project policy, never a format claim
- redact-secret/redact-secret-benchmarks @ main: docs/decisions/2026-09-20-extend-twins-to-assignment-context.mdprovider-documentation · last read 2026-09-20 · latest outcome read · supports no provider exists for an arbitrary literal. The recorded decision is that the twin keeps the value and mutates exactly one property of the assignment context; silence is project policy, never a format claim
Project policy · legacy-contract-tier · current · observed 2026-09-20
The legacy contract records this grammar as project masking policy (tier T3), not as a provider format.
Source not recorded.
Project policy · dossier-research · current · observed 2026-09-26
Legacy dossier research (verdict ready, tier T3) cited 2 sources; the dossier does not attribute sources to individual properties.
- redact-secret/redact-secret @ 8b6a5fde52ecb4dfce13f09c7a947062d21483c7: docs/audits/evidence/653/README.mdproject-research-note · last read 2026-09-26 · latest outcome read · supports Final research evidence recorded by the legacy dossier
- www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc6749.txtstandard-or-rfc · last read 2026-10-03 · latest outcome read · supports Cited by the legacy dossier research for this family

Open questions

No open question is recorded for this revision.

Benchmark dossier notes

From the provider dossier, as written. The evidence level above says how well the format is backed; a fact the dossier does not record is not shown.

Shape: none. An arbitrary literal (8 to 4096 bytes in core) assigned to a sensitive-looking name such as client_secret; entropy only selects confidence. RFC 6749 allows any printable ASCII (VSCHAR), RFC 8265 any PRECIS freeform string.
Basis: none possible; the family has no provider ("provider": null). The #653 hunt found no source for the scored span; masking is project policy (T3, decision 2026-09-26-qualify-bounded-t3-credential-policy, benchmarks#365, core #857), so the verdict is ready at T3, consistent with the other three policy families.
Issuance: not applicable.
Contract in core: detector-families.md; #653 record; the ADRs it cites cover the warn-on-high-signal-names policy.

In this benchmark

Fixture rows on the current run. Counts are for redact-secret in published · redact-secret 0.1.0-beta.14 mode.

Fixtures: 237
Left readable: 35
Redacted too much: 0
False alarms: 1

237 fixtures: 3 expect a redaction, 122 must stay quiet, 112 record project policy. See every row

redact-secret fixture counts by evidence level
Evidence level	Fixtures	Left readable	False alarms
T1Provider-documented	9	1	0
T3Project policy	212	34	1
T0Pending review	16	0	0

Every scanner on the same fixtures

In run order. Counts are what each scanner recorded on this family's fixtures, whichever rules it has; a scanner with no rule for the family has nothing to report on it.

Counts per scanner on this family's fixtures
Scanner	Fixtures	Left readable	False alarms
flare-redactRuntime library · 1.6.1 · Published npm package · secrets-only (pii, generic_assignment disabled) · JavaScript engineNo rule maps to it	237	114	1
gitleaksRepository scanner · 8.30.1 · Directory scan · default rules1 rule targets it	237	62	0
redact-secretProduct measured here · 0.1.0-beta.14 · Published npm package · default detectors1 detector mapped	237	35	1
trufflehogRepository scanner · 3.97.4 · Filesystem scan · verification disabledNo rule maps to it	237	115	0

Looks like it, but isn't

Values the dossier records as resembling this credential without being one.

Collisions: every provider family whose value sits in an assignment; a named provider detector wins.

Scanner rules for this family

Mapped by hand (reviewed 2026-09-30) from each scanner's pinned rule file, never from what a scanner found on the fixtures.

Peer scanner rules that target this family
Scanner	Rule	What the rule matches
gitleaks · rules 8.30.1	`generic-api-key`	keyword-before-value assignment with a literal of 10 or more characters
openredaction · rules 1.1.5	`GENERIC_API_KEY`	api key keyword + a value of 20 or more characters
openredaction · rules 1.1.5	`GENERIC_SECRET`	password, passwd, pwd or secret keyword + a value of 8 or more characters
openredaction · rules 1.1.5	`OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET`	client secret or consumer secret keyword + 20 or more characters
openredaction · rules 1.1.5	`OAUTH_TOKEN`	oauth token or access token keyword + 20 or more characters

No rule maps to this family in flare-redact, trufflehog.

Find

Evidence level

Scanners

237 of 237 rows

Fixtures in this family

237 rows, redact-secret's outcome on each. Rows that need a look come first (36), then the rest in corpus order. Choose "Every scanner" to see each scanner's outcome for the same rows.

Fixtures in Unclassified assignment literal
Fixture	Kind and evidence	redact-secret
`generic-literal-alphabet-edge-base64-standard-padded-in-env`base64-hex-representation-projections · credential-in-base64-or-hex-form	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Left readable
`generic-literal-alphabet-edge-base64-standard-padded-in-json`base64-hex-representation-projections · credential-in-base64-or-hex-form	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Left readable
`generic-literal-alphabet-edge-base64-standard-padded-in-url`base64-hex-representation-projections · credential-in-base64-or-hex-form	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Left readable
`generic-literal-alphabet-edge-base64-standard-padded-three-layers-in-env`base64-hex-representation-projections · credential-in-nested-encoding-layers	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Left readable
`generic-literal-alphabet-edge-base64-standard-unpadded-in-env`base64-hex-representation-projections · credential-in-base64-or-hex-form	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Left readable
`generic-literal-alphabet-edge-base64-url-safe-padded-in-env`base64-hex-representation-projections · credential-in-base64-or-hex-form	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Left readable
`generic-literal-alphabet-edge-base64-url-safe-unpadded-in-env`base64-hex-representation-projections · credential-in-base64-or-hex-form	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Left readable
`generic-literal-alphabet-edge-base64-url-safe-unpadded-in-json`base64-hex-representation-projections · credential-in-base64-or-hex-form	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Left readable
`generic-literal-alphabet-edge-base64-url-safe-unpadded-in-url`base64-hex-representation-projections · credential-in-base64-or-hex-form	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Left readable
`generic-literal-alphabet-edge-base64-url-safe-unpadded-of-base64-standard-padded-in-env`base64-hex-representation-projections · credential-in-nested-encoding-layers	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Left readable
`generic-literal-alphabet-edge-base64-url-safe-unpadded-of-hex-upper-of-base64-standard-padded-in-json`base64-hex-representation-projections · credential-in-nested-encoding-layers	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Left readable
`generic-literal-alphabet-edge-hex-lower-in-env`base64-hex-representation-projections · credential-in-base64-or-hex-form	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Left readable
`generic-literal-alphabet-edge-hex-lower-in-url`base64-hex-representation-projections · credential-in-base64-or-hex-form	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Left readable
`generic-literal-alphabet-edge-hex-lower-of-base64-standard-padded-in-env`base64-hex-representation-projections · credential-in-nested-encoding-layers	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Left readable
`generic-literal-alphabet-edge-hex-lower-of-hex-lower-in-env`base64-hex-representation-projections · credential-in-nested-encoding-layers	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Left readable
`generic-literal-alphabet-edge-hex-mixed-in-env`base64-hex-representation-projections · credential-in-base64-or-hex-form	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Left readable
`generic-literal-alphabet-edge-hex-upper-in-env`base64-hex-representation-projections · credential-in-base64-or-hex-form	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Left readable
`generic-literal-alphabet-edge-hex-upper-in-json`base64-hex-representation-projections · credential-in-base64-or-hex-form	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Left readable
`generic-literal-padding-edge-base64-standard-padded-in-env`base64-hex-representation-projections · credential-in-base64-or-hex-form	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Left readable
`generic-literal-padding-edge-base64-standard-padded-in-json`base64-hex-representation-projections · credential-in-base64-or-hex-form	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Left readable
`generic-literal-padding-edge-base64-standard-padded-in-url`base64-hex-representation-projections · credential-in-base64-or-hex-form	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Left readable
`generic-literal-padding-edge-base64-standard-padded-three-layers-in-env`base64-hex-representation-projections · credential-in-nested-encoding-layers	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Left readable
`generic-literal-padding-edge-base64-url-safe-unpadded-in-env`base64-hex-representation-projections · credential-in-base64-or-hex-form	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Left readable
`generic-literal-padding-edge-base64-url-safe-unpadded-in-json`base64-hex-representation-projections · credential-in-base64-or-hex-form	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Left readable
`generic-literal-padding-edge-base64-url-safe-unpadded-in-url`base64-hex-representation-projections · credential-in-base64-or-hex-form	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Left readable
`generic-literal-padding-edge-base64-url-safe-unpadded-of-base64-standard-padded-in-env`base64-hex-representation-projections · credential-in-nested-encoding-layers	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Left readable
`generic-literal-padding-edge-base64-url-safe-unpadded-of-hex-upper-of-base64-standard-padded-in-json`base64-hex-representation-projections · credential-in-nested-encoding-layers	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Left readable
`generic-literal-padding-edge-hex-lower-in-env`base64-hex-representation-projections · credential-in-base64-or-hex-form	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Left readable
`generic-literal-padding-edge-hex-lower-in-url`base64-hex-representation-projections · credential-in-base64-or-hex-form	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Left readable
`generic-literal-padding-edge-hex-lower-of-base64-standard-padded-in-env`base64-hex-representation-projections · credential-in-nested-encoding-layers	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Left readable
`generic-literal-padding-edge-hex-lower-of-hex-lower-in-env`base64-hex-representation-projections · credential-in-nested-encoding-layers	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Left readable
`generic-literal-padding-edge-hex-mixed-in-env`base64-hex-representation-projections · credential-in-base64-or-hex-form	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Left readable
`generic-literal-padding-edge-hex-upper-in-env`base64-hex-representation-projections · credential-in-base64-or-hex-form	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Left readable
`generic-literal-padding-edge-hex-upper-in-json`base64-hex-representation-projections · credential-in-base64-or-hex-form	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Left readable
`state-json-output-password-with-sensitive-true`hashicorp-terraform-authored · terraform-json-sensitive-attribute-literal-beside-true-flag	Must redactT1 · Provider-documented	Left readable
`stdout-mask-where-source-has-environment-reference`jupyter-notebook-files-authored · already-masked-values	Must not flagT3 · Project policy	Flagged
`generic-literal-alphabet-edge-base`base64-hex-representation-bases · literal-secrets-under-generic-credential-names	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Redacted
`generic-literal-padding-edge-base`base64-hex-representation-bases · literal-secrets-under-generic-credential-names	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Redacted
`api-key`generic · literal-secrets-under-generic-credential-names	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Redacted
`arn-account`generic · secret-manager-grammar-imitations	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Redacted
`auth`generic · nested-yaml-literal-passwords	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Redacted
`aws-secret-access-key-truncated-near-miss`generic · credential-named-literal-near-miss	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Redacted
`block-literal`generic · block-yaml-and-brace-prefixed-secret-literals	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Redacted
`browserbase-api-key-bb-test-key-near-miss`generic · credential-named-literal-near-miss	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Redacted
`cerebras-api-key-pinecone-hyphen-key-near-miss`generic · credential-named-literal-near-miss	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Redacted
`changed-secret`generic · aws-example-keys-one-character-off	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Redacted
`client-secret`generic · literal-secrets-under-generic-credential-names	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Redacted
`confluent-cloud-api-secret-legacy-overlong-value-near-miss`generic · credential-named-literal-near-miss	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Redacted
`database`generic · nested-yaml-literal-passwords	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Redacted
`datadog-api-key-short-key`generic · documented-format-literal	Project policyT3 · Project policy	Redacted

Sources

Researched 2026-09-26.

Documentation and code

www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc6749.txt

Research log

redact-secret/redact-secret#653Research issue
redact-secret/redact-secret#857Research issue
redact-secret/redact-secret-benchmarks#365Research issue
Final evidence, pinned to a commit/redact-secret/redact-secret/blob/8b6a5fde52ecb4dfce13f09c7a947062d21483c7/docs/audits/evidence/653/README.md